Where Can We Go? Part III
by Saya Matsuki
Summary: As I see my writing continuing to improve, I hope the story is as well. This Part is still in progress. Though Taang and Sukka are involved, they are the secondary ships of my story. Zutara has been and will remain the focused ship of the story.
1. Chapter 41 Without You

CHAPTER 41- Without You

**CHAPTER 41- Without You**

Katara sighed, standing at the back of the ship long after Zuko, and even the Fire Nation, were out of sight. Her tears fell freely, but only because no one could see them. She wasn't usually one to let people see her lose her cool and break down in tears. Nothing was going to be the same anymore. Sure, she was happy to be going home and seeing her family again. But the rest of her family, her anchors, the ones not blood related would be missing. Now that Fire Lord Ozai had died and the war was going to end, everyone had had to split up to lead their lives. Zuko had become the new Fire Lord, Ty Lee had gone back to the circus, Mai's parents were coming back to live with her, and Aang had headed to the Western Air Temple with Toph. She thanked Tui and La that at least her brother was going back to the South Pole with her. The Kyoshi warriors were on board as well, getting let off at their island. The trip would take about a week and a half or so. Katara brooded over this as she watched the choppy water in the wake of the ship.

She knew Sokka had been watching her, wanting to know she was okay. Katara was pretty sure he knew that her heart was being torn in two. Once Katara could keep her tears at bay, she turned around and walked toward the front of the ship. She though that maybe if she was with friends, she'd be able to make it seem as though she was all right. Katara tried to pretend that she was okay, but everyone knew better. Sokka started in first.

"Katara, are you okay?" Sokka asked, his tone concerned.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, a bit of agitation in her voice.

"Are you sure, because if-"

"Sokka, I said I'm fine!" Katara snapped.

Sokka looked worried, but he didn't press her any further. Katara felt guilty that she'd yelled at her brother, but the tears welled up in her eyes again before she could apologize. Katara quickly made her way off the deck and inside the ship. She asked someone where her room was and they gave her directions. Walking fast, Katara searched for her room and found it pretty easily. She opened the door to see that her things had been placed on her bed already. Katara moved her pack and her water skin off of the bed before lying down. She stared up at the ceiling for awhile, trying not to cry again. She lifted her right hand up and looked at the ring she wore. In shimmered slightly in the dim lighting of the room. She read the inscription a few times and thought of Zuko.

Why are you getting so worked up over this? Katara asked herself. It's not like he told you he hated you or that he wanted to break up. You know you understand why you have to go home, she told herself.

Katara continued to think and calm herself down when she heard a knock at the door.

She sat up. "Who is it?" Katara called.

"It's Suki," a gentle voice responded. "Can I come in?"

Katara got up and went over to open the door. Suki stood there smiling. Katara gave her a small smile in return.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Suki asked, coming in and shutting the door behind her.

Katara shook her head and went back to sit on her bed. Suki followed suit and sat down beside her.

"Katara, look, I know how you feel," Suki began.

Katara looked at her. "You do?"

Suki nodded. "Being separated from the person or the people you love is really hard. Trust me, I know from experience."

Katara let that sink in for a moment. "It is really hard. I know from experience as well," Katara paused. "Is Sokka angry at me for yelling at him?"

Suki smiled gently. "I don't think he's mad. A little shocked, maybe, but not mad. He knows how you feel and what you're going through."

"I feel bad. No matter how I feel I shouldn't have snapped at him like that," Katara said, looking at her hands sitting in her lap.

"You and I know he'll forgive you, even if you don't apologize," Suki said. "You're his baby sister, he loves you, Katara. He wants to help you."

I know," Katara said softly, looking out the small window in her room. The moon was out and she felt comforted by that. No clouds were hiding it.

"Zuko? Zuko?" A voice called.

Zuko snapped out of his reverie. His head shot up and looked at whoever had called his name. His mother stood at the door to his bedroom off of the parlor. Zuko had been lying on his bed, staring upward for a while in between looking at his ring from Katara. Zuko sat up and sat on the side of the bed. Ursa came over and sat next to him.

"Are you alright, Zuko?" Ursa asked gently.

Zuko ran a hand through his long ebony hair. "Mom, don't take this personally, but does it look like I'm alright? Katara's only been gone a few hours and it's driving me crazy."

"It'll get better. Don't worry too much, my love. I know you'll miss her, but you know you'll see her again."

"Yeah, I know I'll see her again," Zuko said with a gleam in his eyes.

"What are you planning?" Ursa asked with a smile.

"I'll tell you later, Mom. I need to finish planning this out first. Then, I promise I'll tell you and Uncle all about it."

"Alright, Zuko. But let me ask, when do you think you'll see her again?"

"Winter," he said with a grin.

"Well, in the mean time, I suggest you keep busy. Though, I'm sure that won't be hard. Now, your uncle asked me to play Pai Sho with him again, so I promised I'd meet him." Zuko rolled his eyes. "But know that if you want to talk, we're both here for you."

"I will, Mom. Have fun with Uncle," Zuko said, lying back down.

Ursa ruffled his hair a bit with her hand and left him to his thoughts. Zuko had been in his quarters since dinner and had been working on a plan he'd begun developing a few days earlier. Zuko got up and went to another room where his desk was. He got out some parchment and a quill pen. He dipped the quill in ink and began writing out parts of the plan. When he was finished with them for the night, he folded the parchment paper and stored it in a drawer in his desk. On his way back to bed, Zuko grabbed a scroll from a pile he had and took it with him. He got settled into bed with the scroll and tried to occupy his mind before falling asleep.

Back on the Fire Navy ship, the gang was also headed to bed. Katara made her way next door where his room was located. She found him getting ready for bed. He looked up and was surprised to see her standing there.

"Katara, is something wrong?"

Katara held her hands together and looked at her feet. "I wanted to apologize, Sokka. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. It's just, this whole thing has gotten me so-" Katara stopped when she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Sokka came over and put an arm around Katara's shoulders. "Katara, its okay, I understand. You don't have to apologize. I know what you're going through. It's hard when you love a person and can't be with them as much as you like. I know that."

Katara absorbed what her brother told her. "I get what you mean, and I-" She stopped and stared at her brother.

He looked at her confusedly. "What?"

"You said a person you love, and you said you know what I'm going through. You're talking about Suki, aren't you?! You're in love with Suki!" Katara said, her voice getting louder with every word.

Sokka blushed. "I never said that, Katara! You're putting words in my mouth," he stammered.

"Okay, then you won't mind me asking Suki about this then," Katara said smoothly, making for the door.

Sokka grabbed her wrist. "Katara stop, you can't do that. You don't need her to know I'm lying."

"Aha, so you do love-"

Sokka clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shhh! You don't need to announce it to the whole world. You might as well go cloud bending with Aang and write it in the sky!"

Katara pulled his hand off. "Okay, okay, calm down. So, have you told her?"

"No, not yet. There hasn't been a right time," Sokka said.

"When are you going to tell her?" Katara pried.

"I was thinking when we got to Kyoshi Island," he told her.

"What, so like, ten days?"

"Pretty much," Sokka replied.

"Do you know if she loves you?"

"I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure she does."

"Wait, so you're just going to tell her you love her and then leave?" Katara asked. "That's like what Zuko just did!" Katara started to get worked up.

Sokka sat down and pulled Katara down by her wrist. "I'll tell you a secret, but you can't say a word to anyone at all. You got it?" Katara nodded eagerly. "I'm going to propose to her," he confessed.

Katara wore a look of shock, then smiled brightly. "Sokka, that's great!" Katara exclaimed, hugging her brother. "You're going to propose when we get to Kyoshi?"

"Well, no. I'm 16, going on 17 in the winter, and I'm old enough to marry, but I'm going to wait a little longer. Once we get home, I'm going to carve a necklace for her and then return to Kyoshi Island to propose."

"That sounds so romantic, Sokka," Katara smiled. "What are you going to carve on the necklace?"

"Um, actually, I hadn't thought that far ahead yet..."

Katara thought for a minute. "What about a fan? Like the ones the warriors use! That's what first brought you guys together, isn't it?"

Sokka grinned. "That's an awesome idea, Katara! I love it! Thanks," Sokka said, hugging her.

"No problem, Sokka. I'm going to have to resist the urge to tell Suki! She'll be so excited!"

"I hope so," Sokka said.

"I know she will!" Katara smiled, a gleam in her eyes that her brother failed to notice.

"Well, anyway, we should both get some sleep, Katara. We've got a bit of a journey ahead of us," Sokka said.

"You're probably right," Katara said, standing up. "I'll see you in the morning."

For the next week, Zuko and Katara stayed in a sort of daze. They were still confused when they looked for the other and didn't find them. Zuko would find himself daydreaming about Katara during important meetings and his uncle would have to snap him out of it. Katara found the most solace in her bending, even though Sokka would sometimes find her just standing there, a stream of water hovering between her hands. Katara really had to face reality when that week and a half had gone by and they'd arrived at Kyoshi Island. The girls, donned in full uniform, paraded into the village and were welcomed by Oyaji and the townspeople. Katara and Sokka followed them and took in the village.

"I can't believe we haven't been here since Aang was thrown in jail," Katara said. "It seems like that was so long ago, when really it was just early spring."

The town had a feast that night, welcoming back the warriors and the group that helped stop the war. Katara and Sokka would leave for the South Pole in the morning, but for now enjoyed a night's sleep in the village. The next morning came faster then expected, and the siblings were sad to leave. Sokka told Suki he wanted to talk with her before he left. He told her to meet him behind a certain building in the morning. Suki found Sokka already waiting for her.

"Why here, Sokka?" She asked him.

"Because, this is the place we hid before I left the first time I was here. This is the spot where you first kissed me on the cheek," Sokka explained.

Suki smiled. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sokka stepped toward her and took her hands in his. "Well, I've been thinking about things a lot lately. I have things to say to you, but I can't say them just yet. But there is one thing I can, and have to, tell you before I leave."

"What is it?" Suki looked up at him confusedly.

"Suki, I want to tell you, that, that I love you," Sokka stammered.

Suki stood looking at him in shock. Just when Sokka was about to say something to fix the statement he'd made, Suki squeezed his hands. He looked down at her just as she moved forward and kissed him. She made sure he knew what she felt with a passionate kiss that, quite literally, took his breath away.

Suki pulled away. "Sokka, I love you too. I think I always have," Suki said quietly.

Sokka smiled and resumed kissing her until the horn on the ship sounded and they had to leave.

"Suki, I have some things to talk to you about, but not this moment. I have a surprise."

Suki looked confused. "What?"

"I can't tell you right now, but I promise you'll understand within two weeks," Sokka told her as they walked down to the beach where the ship was.

"Okay, I trust you," Suki told him.

Sokka kissed her one last time before he and Katara boarded the ship. From the deck, the siblings waved to the island of Kyoshi. They waved until the island was invisible and all they could see were the giant elephant koi that leaped out of the water.

The ship worked all the way through the night and some point during the next morning they passed the base of the Patola Mountain Range.

Katara pointed it out. "That's where the Southern Air Temple is," she said to her brother.

A few hours after sunrise the day after, they woke to guards that worked on the deck, telling them there was something they needed to see. Sokka and Katara got dressed quickly and ran up to the deck. They held onto the railing and peered into the distance. The land around them was ice and snow. They thanked the cloaks Zuko had given them, for a cool breeze swept across the ship. A man came up behind them as they realized where they were.

He smiled. "Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe."


	2. Chapter 42 Return to Normalcy?

CHAPTER 42- Return to Normalcy

**CHAPTER 42- Return to Normalcy?**

Katara and Sokka looked around to see the place they first ventured away from to help Aang. Though it had been so long, in a way it felt like they'd never left. This was their home, and a part of them would always remain there. Despite everything, Katara looked over at her brother and smiled.

"Wow," the siblings breathed.

Because it was still summer, the South Pole wasn't as cold as the rest of the year, but there was still a chill in the air.

"I can't believe it," Sokka said quietly. "We're really home..."

The South Pole had transformed since they left. Now it very closely resembled the city it had been before the raids had begun over 60 years before. Designed somewhat similarly to the Water Tribe city in the North Pole as well, a new wall had replaced Sokka's old one and it bore the Water Tribe's symbol in between two entrances carved in the ice. Sokka's watchtower had also bee refurbished and now wouldn't fall down so easily. Though, unlike the North Pole, which was carved out of the cliffs of ice, this city was smaller and built from the ground up. The ice had been a flat, solid canvas of ice from which a new city could be built when Sokka and Katara had left. It was now a busy metropolis of a city where their tribe could live.

Katara and Sokka were more excited then ever to be back home and see what lay beyond that wall. The Fire Navy ship stopped a safe distance away from the wall. It was too big for their vessel to pass through and, although the war was now officially over and there was a smaller ship stored inside, a Fire Navy ship might not have been what the Southern Water Tribe wanted to see.

"How are we supposed to get in?" Sokka asked. "This isn't the Northern Tribe. Even with those entrances, I doubt a bunch of Waterbenders are going to come with boats and lead us through an aqueduct system."

"Well, if we can't get in like that, then we'll have to get in without help," Katara said.

The captain came up behind them. "What would you like us to do, ma'am?"

Katara smiled. "Drop the anchor."

"Katara, what are you planning?" Sokka asked her.

"You'll see. Captain, please, drop the anchor."

"As you wish," the captain said, walking back to fulfill her request.

"Sokka, come with me," Katara said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him after her.

Katara pulled Sokka back across the deck and walked down below. She kept walking until she stopped in front of his room.

"What are you doing, Katara?" Sokka asked again.

"If I tell you, you'll only complain. Now, get your bag and any other belongings and meet me up top again in five minutes," Katara told him, walking down the hall to her room.

Five minutes later, Sokka and Katara were both standing back on the deck, packs slung over their shoulders and their cloaks rippling in the morning breeze. The ship's captain once again stood before them.

"Thank you for bringing up home, Captain," Katara said, bowing slightly to show her thanks. "My brother and I will get off here."

"You're very welcome. It has been a pleasure having both of you here on my ship. We'll wait here until you're inside the city," he said, ignoring Sokka's confusion.

Katara pushed Sokka's back and forced him to walk over to the side of the ship. Katara walked around him and grabbed the side. "I'll go down first," she said. And without waiting for an answer, she began to lower herself over the edge.

Sokka suddenly found his ability to speak. "Katara, what do you think you're doing? Jumping off a Fire Navy ship?"

"No, do you think I'm stupid?" Katara asked him, letting go of the ship and dropping onto the anchor's chain. She started climbing down and making her way towards the water. "Come on Sokka," she called up to him. "Start climbing down!"

"Are you nuts!?" Sokka thought for a moment. "Man, I must be nuts because I'm actually listening to her," Sokka mumbled, following his sister over the side of the ship and down the anchor.

Once she was about two feet above the water's surface, Katara used one arm to make a small but thick sheet of ice form on top of the water. When it was big enough for her to stand on it and she was sure it could hold her weight, she let go of the anchor chain and landed on the ice. Sokka continued to climb down the chain and stopped a few feet above her. Katara expanded the sheet and made a sort of raft out of the ice. She shaped it and formed it so it looked more like a boat.

"Sokka, come down and sit on the ice," Katara called.

Sokka obediently climbed down and dropped into Katara's hand crafted ice raft turned boat. Katara stood at the back and began Bending their way towards the city's wall. They arrived within a few minutes and Katara directed them to the right and through the rounded entrance in the ice. When she made it to the other side a few moments later, a small group of men awaited them, standing on a bridge that went across the bay they were now in. Katara stopped and looked at these unfamiliar people.

"Who are you guys?" She asked.

"We're members of the Northern Tribe," one of them said. "We came to live here when Master Pakku left the North Pole. And just who are you? I can tell you're Water Tribe, even though you've got Fire Nation cloaks on."

"My name is Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka. We're members of the Southern Tribe," she told them.

"Katara? As in Master Katara? Master Pakku told us about you! You must be Chief Hakoda's children!" Another one of the men said.

"Yes, we are. We've been gone for over a year, but, now we're back," Katara said.

"Now, if you guys will excuse us, we'd like to go find our grandmother," Sokka began.

"Allow us to escort you," one of the man offered. "I'm sure you're not familiar with the new layout of the city. Don't worry, you'll get it in no time."

Katara and Sokka looked around. They'd been so busy talking that they hadn't even stopped to look at the city itself. Everything was so different than it used to be.

"Um, sure, we'd like that," Katara told them.

She bended the raft over to one of the small docks that jutted out from the bridge. Katara and Sokka stepped onto the snow with the men and left their ice boat for anyone who wanted a ride. The men began to walk toward the main entrance of the city, a large path that went in between two watchtowers.

"Wow, you were right, the city really has changed," Katara exclaimed as she looked around.

The Southern Water Tribe looked like a mix of the city before the raids and the Northern Water Tribe. Before the Fire Nation raids had started, the city had been built with rounded walls and contained the city inside. But now, at the waterfront, there was also the wall with the Tribe's symbol on it. Once you went through one of the two entrances and into the bay, you walked over the bridge and into the actual city itself.

"One of the reasons the city doesn't have a more elaborate entrance is that there aren't as many Waterbenders here as in the North Pole," one of the men pointed out. "The design of the city is mostly a close replica of how it looked before the Fire Nation raids started over 60 years ago."

Another one of them spoke up. "Over there and over are all living spaces for families. Over there is a healing hut, and a there's a training ground at the southernmost area of the city," he told them as he pointed things out.

"Um, speaking of living spaces, where's ours?" Sokka asked, wanting more to sleep and not take a tour.

"Oh, right this way," the one leading them said.

They went toward the main meeting place of the Tribe's city and turned left. He led Sokka and Katara down the rows of huts and they stopped in front of a particular one. Katara looked around and saw that this was one of the larger homes out of the city. Just before she asked the question, the man answered her.

"This is Chief Hakoda and his family's home. Your grandmother is inside."

Katara and Sokka pushed aside the curtain that covered the door and walked inside. A fire was burning in the pit at the center of the main room. At the back and back side walls were four Water Tribe tents. Each was big enough to fit one to two people and they served as bedrooms. And sitting on a pelt by the fire was none other than Gran Gran. She looked up when they walked in and smiled from ear to ear.

"Gran Gran!" The siblings exclaimed, walking quickly past the fire pit to hug her.

"Sokka, Katara, its so good to finally have you back home," their grandmother said happily as she hugged each of them tightly.

The group of men that had led them there walked in and bowed their heads. "Guards at the watch tower saw a Fire Nation ship heading our way and saw your grandchildren climb off the ship. Your granddaughter Waterbended them into the bay. At first we thought they were Fire Nation until we saw the Bending."

"I was wondering how you'd gotten here. I was expecting the Avatar's flying bison or your father's fleet. But a Fire Nation ship, that's definitely a surprise," Gran Gran said.

"Wait, you mean Dad's not back here yet?" Sokka asked.

"No, he's not home yet. Were you expecting him to be here before you?"

"Not really, we just didn't know if he would be," Sokka replied.

After the men left, Katara and Sokka unfolded the entire tale of their journeys from the time they'd left to now when they'd returned while helping themselves to some stewed sea prunes. They talked about everyone they'd met along the way and all the places they'd been. When they talked about the North Pole, Katara talked about Yagoda and her fight with Master Pakku to make him teach her.

"Yagoda, I was sure you'd mention her. She was my best friend. And she still is. She went back to the North Pole with Pakku to help out Chief Arnook with something. When they left they said they'd be back in several months. And Pakku, I'm not surprised he fought you on the issue of Waterbending. He was always so stubborn and set in his ways," their grandmother said.

"But, Gran, how come you never told me about you being from the Northern Tribe?" Katara asked.

Kanna looked thoughtful. "I never told you because, while I was happy to be free, I was ashamed. Although Pakku was stubborn and sometimes harsh, he was a great man. But I couldn't stand the idea of an arranged marriage. So I left," she said.

"I understand, Gran Gran," Katara said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The siblings continued their story, stopped at certain parts by their grandmother's questions. When they got to more recent events, their grandmother had more and more questions. She was shocked that Katara's boyfriend was the Fire Lord and that Sokka was going to propose to a Kyoshi Warrior. But her happiness that they'd each found love overcame anything else she might have felt. After they'd regaled every event of their journey down to the last detail, they had dinner and then Kanna went to sleep. Sokka and Katara sat by the fire talking long after.

"Can you believe we're really home?" Katara asked.

"It's definitely hard to believe," Sokka replied.

Eventually, they'd put out the fire and gone to bed. And although Sokka fell asleep fast, Katara lay awake for hours, waiting for sleep to come and take her.

"Zuko. Zuko, wake up," a gentle voice called into Zuko's subconscious.

Zuko slowly opened his eyes and found that the voice had been his mother's. "Mom?" Zuko asked groggily. "What is it?"

"I wanted to let you know that a messenger hawk came from a Fire Navy ship this morning."

"Mom, no offense but, can this wait till later?" Zuko asked, burying his face into his pillow.

"I thought you may want to know because this scroll is marked that it came from the ship bringing Katara and Sokka home," Ursa said.

Zuko's eyes widened and he sat up in bed. "Katara? What is something wrong?" He asked hurriedly, taking the scroll from his mother's hand.

"I don't know, Zuko," Ursa said as she watched Zuko try to rip open the seal. "I didn't open it."

Zuko looked at his mother as he tried in vain to rip the seal open. "Why didn't you open it? I mean, usually I'd mind, but you would've known that I'd put this as priority," Zuko mumbled as he gave up using his nails and began to use his teeth to get the seal off of the scroll.

Ursa watched in slight amusement as her son tried to open the letter. "Zuko, even if I'd wanted to open the letter, I'm technically not allowed too. That's labeled as tampering."

Zuko looked at his mom as the seal finally ripped and cracked apart. "Even so, what law is that against? I mean, come on, I'm the Fire Lord. Doesn't the fact that you're my mother give you any power to do anything?" Zuko asked as he spit out bits of red wax.

"Unfortunately, not really. I'm not allowed by law to do as much as anyone might like," Ursa sighed, then smiled. "Unfortunately it also means I can't punish you anymore," Ursa teased as she ruffled Zuko's long, shaggy hair.

Zuko grinned and pushed her hand off. "Very funny, Mom," he said as he picked off the rest of the wax keeping the scroll rolled up.

Ursa couldn't contain her smile as she saw a bit of the little boy in her son. "So, what does it say?"

Zuko unrolled the scroll and began to read it. Ursa watched as her son's eyes moved over every word on the page. He let his hands drop and the paper crinkled on his bed.

Zuko looked at his mother and breathed a sigh of relief. "It's from a messenger hawk. They said they wanted to let me know right away that Katara and Sokka made it home and are safely inside the city. The ship's on its way back to the Fire Nation as we speak." Zuko rolled up the scroll and put it on his bedside table.

"That's good news. I was also informed that," Ursa paused as she pulled a small piece of paper from her robes. "Ty Lee made it fine back to the circus, Mai's parents should be home within three weeks. We're still waiting for the messenger hawk to come back from the Western Air Temple," she handed the paper to Zuko.

"Alright, then everything sounds good. Now that the world's not in crisis, can I go back to sleep?" Zuko asked as he lay back down on the pillows.

Ursa grabbed his wrist and pulled him back up. "Sorry, my little Fire Lord, but you have things to do. You're running a nation now." She got up and walked over to the drapes in his bedroom and opened them. "The curtains in the rest of your quarters are already opened."

Zuko squinted at the light and shielded his eyes. "Mom, can't running the nation wait? It won't be run well if the Fire Lord is tired."

She put her hands on her hips. "Nice try, Zuko. Come on, get out of bed. You've got a war meeting in less than two hours."

Zuko slowly pulled himself out of bed. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this yesterday? Shouldn't I be the one scheduling things and running this country?"

"Usually yes, but since you weren't up to decide if the meeting was today, your uncle had to decide for you. Now go take a bath and get ready. I'll be back in an hour to get you," Ursa told him as she walked out.

After his mother deemed him ready for the War Council, he walked to the War Chamber and saw his uncle waiting for him outside.

His mother put her hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, Zuko."

He looked at her. "You mean you're not attending the meeting?"

She smiled. "Of course not. Have you ever seen any women in the Fire Lord's war room? Besides, I have no interest in the meetings anyway."

Zuko sighed. "You know I can make it so you're allowed in?"

Iroh put his hand on Zuko's other shoulder. "Don't worry, Zuko, I'll be at the councilmen's table. I'll help if anything goes wrong, and I'll strategize with you."

Zuko looked at him. "But, Uncle, I thought you said you were retired?"

Iroh smiled. "But I will always come out of retirement for my nephew."

Zuko grinned. "Thank you, Uncle. I'm honored to have you as one of my generals."

Ursa wished them luck as they walked into the war room. It was devoid of people. Only the furniture was there to greet them.

"Go and take your seat, my Lord," Iroh beckoned.

"Please don't call me that, Uncle," Zuko asked as he took his place on the throne behind that eternal wall of flame.

"During meetings and official business only, I promise you," he answered.

Soon after the meeting began. Zuko did his best to pay absolute attention to the men who were helping him strategize the removal of troops from the Earth Kingdom.

One General stood. "Ba Sing Se and Gaoling are currently unoccupied, as well as many other towns and villages scattered throughout the Earth Kingdom." He picked up a long stick and pointed to some of the locations on the map. He began to point out the occupied cities that were marked. "Now, you said that you have been drafting the peace treaties. How are they progressing, my Lord?"

"Katsu Isayama and his son Taro have been helping me draft them. One will obviously go to the Water Tribes and the other to the Earth Kingdom. It is written that all Fire Nation troops will be removed from the Earth Kingdom and recalled to the Fire Nation, unless of course, there are specified circumstances. Now, I want to focus immediate attention on New Ozai. I want it's name reverted to Omashu, and I want all traces of the Fire Nation there erased. King Bumi shall be released if he's not been already. After the meeting, send a messenger hawk to Omashu about this, please."

The General bowed his head. "Of course, Sir. And, what of the Northern Air Temple? Though it is now captured territory, it is still technically Air Nomad territory, regardless of the situation."

"There was of course, the defeat there last winter," another general added.

"As you said, regardless of the situation. Now, you may tell the Mechanist that the Fire Nation will not ever again threaten the Temple and he and his people can be free of worry," Zuko answered.

As the meeting droned on and Zuko answered countless questions, he couldn't help wonder what Katara was up to.

Back at the South Pole, Katara was definitely not at a war meeting. She was back on a routine, doing chores. The city, however better it may be, still required upkeep. Katara walked into the house and sat in front of the fire pit. A new fire had been lit and Sokka sat picking his teeth from breakfast.

"Gran Gran, I got rid of the ashes," she said.

Her grandmother came out of her sleeping tent. "That's good. Katara, there's something I want to give you," she said as she walked over to the chest in the front of the room and pulled something out of it. "I was going to wait, but, I think now's the right time to give it to you."

"What is it?" Katara asked.

Her grandmother handed her a blue bundle of fabric. "Unfold it and see for yourself, my little Waterbender," she smiled.

Katara unfolded the fabric and found herself staring at a new outfit. She felt the soft fabric and tried to remember where she'd seen the pattern on the sleeves before. "Gran, this, this looks like Mom's dress," Katara almost whispered. Even Sokka was paying attention.

"That's because it is. We'd saved most of your mother's things. This dress was among them and I thought it'd be perfect for you. I made sure it wasn't ripped or stained. I was going to give it to you on your 16th birthday. I knew the war would most likely be over and that you'd most likely be home. I also thought that you'd probably adopt your mother's hair style when you came of marrying age. But I wanted to give it to you now."

Katara got up and hugged her grandmother. "Gran, thank you so much," she said as tears brimmed at her eyes.

Kanna smiled. "You're very welcome, my dear."

Katara looked at the dress. It was her favorite one to see on her mother when she was younger. It was the one she saw most often in her memories. She smelled the dress and could still smell her mother. She admired the quality of the dress and remembered how her mother had looked in it.

The style of the outfit was a lot like the one she'd worn when she'd first started traveling with her brother and Aang. It had the main part of the dress that you pulled to one side and tied, along with the shirt that went underneath. It was tight at the forearms and loose above the elbow. The sash at the waist was deep blue and it had fur at the waist and bottom of the dress. There was a wave pattern on the sleeves, bottom and neckline.

Katara headed towards her tent. "I'm going to put it on and wear it today," she said as she went to change. She came out wearing it a minute later. Her hair was down except for the bun and hair loops. She'd declared that she didn't feel like braiding it. "So, what do you think?"

Kanna smiled. "You look beautiful. You look like your mother did wearing that dress."

Even Sokka had to comment. "You look good, Katara," he grinned.

Zuko had been bombarded by a million different plans and suggestions for recalling Fire Nation troops and still maintaining dignity and the economy. Luckily for him, his uncle had been there to help him decide on what to do. The troops were going to be returning home, and a sense of peace would hopefully be brought to the world. That night, he couldn't sleep. He walked out onto his balcony and leaned against the stone wall. He saw that the full moon was out, and his thoughts went to Katara.

He looked around him, letting his thoughts wander. I'm planning to see Katara in winter, but can I wait that long? Zuko thought to himself. He supposed that things were back to normal, but he realized that he couldn't really define normalcy. He missed his friends, the ones he called his family. He missed Katara. Although life would go on, he felt something was missing without his friends being there, without her being there.

Later that evening, after her grandmother had gone to sleep and Sokka was off doing whatever he did, Katara left the house and walked towards the exit of the city. She saw the bay in sight and use light from other homes to guide her. She looked up at the inner watchtowers that led to others within the city. She found the stairs that went up to one of them and began climbing. When Katara got to the top, she looked around the small room that was inside the watchtower. A guard stood watch for anything out there. Katara walked toward him. He heard her footsteps and turned around.

Katara found herself facing a man with a spear. "Who's there?"

She walked into the patch of moonlight. "My name is Katara," she told him.

The man's expression went to shock. He bowed his head. "Oh, of course, Master Katara! What are you doing up here? Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.

Katara shook her head. "No, thank you. I just came up here to think."

She walked over to the window and sat on the wide ledge. She put her arms around her knees and pulled them up. Katara looked out over the water and up at the full moon. She thought of Aang and Toph and hoped they weren't destroying the temple. She wondered what Zuko was doing. Katara hoped that whatever it was, he was doing okay. Zuko was in good hands, she knew that. His words rang in her head. 'I'll come for you when its time,' he'd said. But what did that mean? When was that time supposed to be? She supposed she'd try to live her life normally until that day came. As she thought about it, she asked herself, 'what is normal?'


End file.
